Graduate’s book will be a “useful tool for mission agencies and supporting churches”

Dr. Antonia Leonora van der Meer, Director of the Evangelical Missions Center (EMC), Brazil

Campus of the Evangelical Missions Center (EMC) in Brazil

Recently, OC contributed to the publication of a book by Dr. Antonia Leonora van der Meer, the Director of the Evangelical Missions Center (EMC), Brazil, entitled Missionaries who have been hurt: How to care for those who are serving. Published in Brazil, the book is based on her doctoral dissertation at the Asia Graduate School of Theology (AGST) in the Philippines, where OC also sponsored her PhD studies in Missiology. “[The book] took some time to adapt, translate into Portuguese, find the right publisher, etc., but it is now ready,” she says. It will be a “useful tool for mission agencies and supporting churches.”

Dr. van der Meer’s dissertation focused on “Understanding and responding to the needs of Brazilian missionaries serving in contexts of suffering,” which she says is “a very key topic for the Brazilian Church in mission.” Citing how cross-cultural missionaries have grown exponentially from 1989 to 2005; the decreasing number of those serving in the 10/40 Window; and a significant number of missionaries serving in contexts of recent war and violence, Dr. van der Meer says, “We want to help these missionaries to remain steadfast and to serve well in difficult contexts; therefore, it is important that they are well prepared and receive appropriate member care. At this point, many are sent to the fields without appropriate training, and most receive too little, if any, member care.” She says the subject and goal of her dissertation was to answer this need.

Dr. van der Meer’s research has been useful in her role at EMC. “[It has helped] me to understand the needs of our former and current students better, so that we can better prepare them, mentor them and keep praying and offering some form of member care, even when they serve with other agencies and churches.” It has also proved helpful in her role as a member of the Brazilian Member Care Association and will help other leaders of mission schools, agencies and churches.

Dr. van der Meer is still working on a book to be published in English on “Suffering and Martyrdom in Mission” with Bill Taylor of the World Evangelical Alliance Mission Commission. They hope to finish it by the end of 2009/early 2010.